Rolling-mill



(No Model.)v I Y L 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' W. J. LEWIS.

ROLLING MILL.

A1\To. 392,210. Patented Nov. 6, 1888.

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W. J. LEWIS.

ROLLING MILL.

Patented Nov. 6,- 1888.

N. PEYERS, Phnlo-Lilhngmghur. WnhingunD. C.

l NrTnn STATES Finca ArnNr ROLLINGEIVHLL..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392.210, dated November 6, 1888, Application filed March 13, 1888, Serial No. 267.113. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rolling-Mills for Rolling Iron and Steel; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention has relation to rolling-mills, and especially to the machinery and appliances for rolling slabs and plates of iron or steel from large ingots.

In mills of this class it is advantageous and a measure of economy and time-saving to employ two distinct sets of rolls-viz., roughing and finishing rolls. It is customary, however, to employ three-high sets, and to raise the slab from the roughing to the finishing pass. The better method,and the one which I adopt, is to roll the plate from the ingot by successive passes through roughing-rolls,and to then transfer the plate or slab from the roughing to the finishing rolls, the latter being arranged with their axes in alignment with the roughing-rolls. In working large masses of steel or iron a slab-table is employed, consisting of a series of properly-mounted feed-rolls geared together and arranged on both sides of the reducing-rolls.4 The feed-rolls of the table are driven from a pair of reversing-engines, and convey the slab to and from the reducing-rolls until sufficient passes have been made to reduce the slab to the required thickness. Tables of this class have been in use for some years, and are appurtenances of what are usually termed blooming and plate7 mills.

They are, however, mounted on a stationary bed, the mills comprisingsimply apair or three redncing-rolls, through which all the passes are made.

In the reduction of steel ingots and the mannfacture therefrom of heavy plates I have found it expedient to provide the mill with an additional pair of nishing-rolls, to which the slab, after reduction, is submitted for the finishing operations; and in order to use the machinery to best advantage, and with as little labor and expenditure of time as possible, I have provided a portable table, made in the form of atruek or bogie,mounted upon tracks, and so arranged that it may be moved by means of a chain from in front of the roughingrolls to a like position in relation to the nishing-rolls, and vice versa. In a millof this description it is necessary that the innermost roll of the table be situated as close to the roughing-rolls as possible, and it is also essential that it shall be a working or live roll, receiving positive motion from the power. The reason for this is plain. During the first two or three passes the ingot or bloom is usually short, and is sometimes supported entirely or mainly by the innermost roll. Unless this roll is positively revolving it will not assist in the delivery of the slab; but the latter must be moved by crow-bars and other appliances, involving great labor and the aid of several hands. Now, in arranging the roll near the roughing-rolls,it is necessarily brought within the plan or face of the housings, which then prevent it from being transferred with the rest of the table to the iinishing-rolls. I have accordingly contrived-and in this lies the essential featnre ofthe improvemen t-means whereby the roll may be brought readily into engagement with and disengaged from the feedtables,so as to serve its functions as a workingroll when in requisition, and yet in no Wise interfere with the lateral movement of the table. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view ofa slab or plate mill embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail View.

A A represent the roughing or reducing rolls, and B B the finishing-rolls mounted in separate housings and run from the main engine in the usual way.

F designates the slab or ingot table, which consists of a rectangular frame, upon which are mounted the feed-rollers e e e3 e", the shafts of the rollers e carrying beveled pinions e e', which engage with like pinions on a horizontal shaft, G, mounted in bearings on one side of the table.

The train of feed-rolls is operated from a pair of twin supplementary engines, H H, whose pistons are connected with ahorizontal crank-shaft, H, running lengthwise of the frame or table F, and carrying abeveled gear, I, which engages with a similar wheel, I', on

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. be thrown into and out of gear with the rest the end of a transverse shaft, Il, passing` under the table adjacent to the housings of rolls A A. 'Upon the shaft lf" is mounted a slidingpinion, i, connected with a sliding collar, to which a forked lever, y1", is attached for the purpose of throwing the wheel 1T into and out of engagement with aloosc wheel, it'. mounted on the left-hand side of the frame F. 'lhe wheel 'if is in engagement with the wheels i. i on the end of the rolls c e, turning the same in one direction. The roll c communicates motion through its beveled wheel e to the main pinion-shaft il, and the rolls e are driven thereby, the intermediate roll, c, being driven by means of straight gear c5. lhe motion of the feed-rolls is reversed by reversing the driving-engines- 'lhe supplcnientary roll c, which (,:onstitutes the principal featuroofmyinvention, is mounted upon separate housings or pedestals lx, under the bottom roll and as near to thc rolls A, as possible, in order that there may be no difficulty in feeding short blooms or ingots direetly to the rolls, the iugot of any length resting on said feed-roll and being thrust or conveyed thereby inlo the grasp ofthe reducingrolls.

ln order lo provide for the positive motion of the supplcmcn tary roll, and also enable it to ofthe train--a necessity occasioned by therequirement of shifting the table after the reduction of the iugot-l have a pinion, y, on one end of this roll, and upon a pivoted frame, h, linked lo a bell-crank lever, h, l mount an idler, 71., which by a movement of the lever is interposed between agear-wheel, I, on the end ofthe roll e and the gear-wheel g. The supplementary roll is thus driven by and in the same direction as the other rolls of the train, and may be engaged and disengaged at will.

As will be seen, the roll e" lies between the housings of the rolls A A, and hence cannot be moved laterally with the table.

The expedients described or their equival lents are therefore necessary to render the roll positively operative. Vhen the supplementary roll is thrown out, the table is caused to travel in the direction of the sprocket-chain operated from the engine ll.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In rolling mills, thccombinatiomwith the roughingrolls and laterally-movable plate or ingot-table upon which are mounted a series of live-rollers, of the supplementary liveroller mounted between the housings of the roughing-rolls, in close ljiroxiniity to the latter, substantially as described.

2. In rolling-mills for rolling slabs or plates, the combination, with the roughing-rolls and the laterally-movable slab-table, upon which arc mounted a series of live-rollers geared together, of a supplementary live-roller mounted between the housings of the roughing-rolls, and intermediate gearing which may be thrown into and out of connection with the main series of feed-rollers, substantially as described.

3. ln a rolling-mill, thecoiubinatio11,\vith a laterally-movable slab-table upon which are mounted live-rollers geared together, and a supplementary live-roll mounted between the housings of thc roughing-rolls, of intermediate loose or shifting pinion mounted on a pivoted frame or crab and capable of being shiftedinto and out of gear with the main supplementary rolls, substantially as described.

A1,. '.ln a rolling-mill, the combination with the Yfollowing elements, to wit: the roughingrolls, supplementary liveroll mounted between the housingsa laterally-movable slabtable having live-rollers mounted thereon and geared together, a horizontal power-conveying shaft in gear with the crank-shaft of the reversing-engines, a sliding pinion on said power-shaft and an operating-lever coupled thereto, and an adjustable loose pinion mounted on a lever or pivoted frame, and arranged and adapted yfor connecting and disconnecting the supplementary roll with the main series on the slab-table, substantially as described.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing ll have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of February, 'l SSS.

Wll'ililAtf .'l. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

H. C. Eventi?, Tues. A. CoNNoLtv. 

